Portable toilet unit



Aug. 10, 1965 s. N. MELTZER 3,199,120

PORTABLE TOILET UNIT v Filed Oct. 26, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet l 13 A 29 V l6 34 35 36 FlG.l

INVENTOR.

SEYMOUR N. MELTZER BY Z bl ATTORNEY 0, 1965 s. N. MELTZER 3,199,120

PORTABLE TOILET UNIT Filed 001:. 26, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,199,120 PQRTABLE TUHJET UNIT Seymour N. Meltzer, 17% East West Highway, Silver Spring, M Filed @ct. 2d, 1962, Ser. No. 233,368: 3 Claims. (Cl. @144) The present invention relates to a toilet unit and is primarily concerned with the provision of a portable toilet which may be readily installed to take care of toilet'needs where it is not practical to install either a water-carried sewage system or a sanitary pit arrangement. Devices of the general character with which the present invention is concerned find their primary utility in roadside parks, picnic areas, multi-level building construction, labor gang areas, armed forces training areas and with traveling show units such as circuses, carnivals and the like.

The desirability of a portable toilet unit of relatively simple construction and which is provided with means for closing off the toilet opening when not in use to prevent the entrance of flies and insects and against the emanation of efiluvia has long been recognized. The prior manner of closing off the toilet opening consisted of a pair of cooperating hinged closure members maintained in normal closed position but capable of swinging downwardly into the toilet when the toilet is being used. To effect the opening of the closure members, a connection is provided between the closure members and the conventional toilet seat whereby upon depression of the toilet seat by a user will cause the closure members to swing downwardly thereby providing access to the interior of the toilet receptacle. The primary obiection to this prior construction resides in the fact that the entrance of the feces into the receptacle vill often result in the feces contacting the upper surface of the closure members thus producing the unsam'tary conditions it is attempted to overcome.

The present invention overcomes the aforesaid defect by providing a pair of cooperating closure members which are swingable in a horizontal plane to uncover the toilet opening and movable to a position underlying the toilet top so as to conceal and protect the upper surface of the closure members.

Thus, the primary object of the present invention is to provide a portable toilet unit of the character described above which will be simple and inexpensive in construction, which will be so constructed and arranged as to provide for convenient periodical withdrawal of its contents, and which will be completely sanitary at all times.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved means for automatically opening the receptacle for use.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of a toilet unit constructed in accordance with the present invention, parts being broken away for clarity of illustration.

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the unit shown in FIG- URE 1.

IGURE 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 33 of FIGURE 2 with the closure members in closed position.

FIGURE 4 is a similar view with the toilet lid partially depressed and the closure members in open position.

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 55 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 6 is a partial detail view of the meeting edges of the closure members.

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FIGURE 7 is an enlarged sectional view taken line 7-7 of FIGURE 2.

on the Referring to the drawings in detail, the toilet unit indicated generally by the numeral 10, comprises a main receptacle 11 which'is shown as being cylindrical but which may take any desired shape or form. The receptacle is provided with a closed bottom and a top 12 having an opening 13 formed therein to provide entrance to the interior of the receptacle. The opening 13 is covered by a pair of closure members 14 and 15 suitably hinged to the top 12 at the rear thereof by a vertical hinge pin or rivet 16. As seen in detail in FIGURE 5, the inner edge of closure member 14 is provided with a stepped protruding lip 17 adapted to underlie the edge 18 of closure member 15 to insure a sealed relationship between the two closure members when in closed position. A pair of bracket members 19 are suitably secured to the underside of 'the top 12, each having a portion 2t spaced from the underside of the top to support the cover members during their horizontal movement from closed to open position and vice versa.

Adjacent the rear end of the opening, there is provided a hinge bar 21 having its ends supported in hinge brackets 22 carried by and upstanding from the top 12. A conventional toilet lid or seat 23 is suitably hinged to the bar 21 by means of conventional hinge elements 24. The toilet seat is provided with the usual opening 25 overlying the opening 13 in the top 12.

The means for operating the closure members 14 and 15 comprises a rod 25 extending through an opening 27 formed in the top 12 at the rear portion thereof and a small distance inwardly or" the hinge brackets 22. The lower end of the bar 26, at the underside of the top 12, carries an enlarged tapered member 28 for a purpose to be described. The upper end of the bar has aflixed thereto an enlarged head member 29 and surrounding the bar between the head member 29 and the top 12 is a coiled spring 38. The head member 29 is detachably secured to the bar 26 to permit assembly with the top. The rear inner edge of each of the closure members 14 and 15 is provided with an inclined wall portion 31 and 32 corresponding to the taper of the member 23 as seen in FIGURE 3. The wall portions 31 and 32 are adjacent the hinge pin 16 and depression of the rod 26 will cause separation of the hinged members in a horizontal plane to the dotted line position shown in FIG- URE 2. in the open position of the closure members, each of the members underlies a portion of the top 12, and are guided and supported to this position by the brackets 19.

in the normal closed position of the closure members as seen in FTGURE l, the toilet seat 23 is slightly elevated and held in this position by the head 29 abutting the underside of the seat. T o maintain the closure members in normal closed position, a spring 33 has its end connected to the underside or" each closure member as shown in FIGURE 2. Thus, when the seat is moved downwardly to use position, the seat will force rod 26 downwardly causing tapered member 2% to separate wall portions 31 and 32 thereby opening closure members 14 and 15 as previously described. When the weight or pressure is removed from the top of the seat or lid 23, the spring 34 will return the seat to its elevated position shown in FIGURE 1, and the spring 33 will return the closure members to closed position.

The toilet unit may be cleaned in any conventional manner. As illustrated in FIGURE 1, a fitting 34 mounted at the rear of the receptacle adjacent the bottom thereof, provides access to the interior of the receptacle. A pipe section 35 has one end secured to the fitting and has its other end connected to one arm of a T 36, the

other arm of which is normally closed by a plug 3'7 which can be removed to permit draining of the receptacle after it is filled with cleaning fluid or the like. Alternatively, the contents may be withdrawn to a tanktruck'provided with a suction pump, through a pipe 38 connected to the stem of the T 36, supported by a bracket 39. and normally closed at its upper end by a cap 4% which may be removed for connection of the suction line from the tank truck.

It will also be apparent from the foregoing description that the present structure is well adapted to accomplish the objects of the invention. While I have shown means for moving the closure members in a horizontal plane to uncover the toilet opening, other suitable means for mov: ing the closure members in a horizontal plane may be employed without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, What is claimed is:

1. In a device of the class described, a receptacle having a fixed apertured top, a hinged seat for said receptacle, said seat having an opening overlying the top aperture, a pair of closure members hingedly mounted for movement in a horizontal plane to a position underlying said top, said closure members having cooperating inclined wall portions at the inner edges thereof, a rod supported on said top having an enlarged head for hearing against said inclined wall portions to cause separation of said closure members upon downward pressure on said seat, and means for closing said closure members upon release of pressure on said seat. 7

2. In a device of the class described, a receptacle having a fixed apertured top, a hinged seat for said receptacle, said seat having an opening overlying the top aperture, a pair of closure members hingedly mounted for movement in a horizontal plane to a position underlying said top, said closure members having cooperating in- 4 clined wall portions at the inner edges thereof, a rod supported on said top having an enlarged head for bearing against said inclined wall portions to cause separation of said closure members upon downward pressure on said seat, spring means for urging said rod upwardly upon upward movement of the seat, and means for closing said closure members upon release of pressure on said seat.

3. In a device of the class described, a receptacle hav ing a fixed apertured top, a hinged seat for said receptacle, said seat having an opening overlying the top aperture, a pair of closure members hingedly mounted for movement in a horizontal plane to a position underlying said top, said closure members having cooperating inclined wall portions at the inner edges thereof, a rod supported on said top having an enlarged head for bearing against said inclined wall portions to cause separation of said closure members upon downward pressure on said seat, spring means for urging said rod upwardly upon upward movement of the seat, means for closing said closure members upon release of pressure on said seat, and means on the underside of the top for supporting the closure during movement of said members.

References Cited by the Examiner UNETED STATES PATENTS 59,064 9/65- Woodruii 4-144 322,626 7/ Merz 4-238 547,115 10/95 Green 4-444 1,303,564 5/19 Kinch 4144 1,442,142 1/23 Furan 4l44 LEWIS I. LENNY, Primary Examiner.

FRANK H. BRONAUGH, EDWARD V. BENHAM,

Examiners. 

1. IN A DEVICE OF THE CLASS DESCRIBED, A RECEPTACLE HAVING A FIXED APERTURED TOP, A HINGED SEAT FOR SAID RECEPTACLE, SAID SEAT HAVING AN OPENING OVERLYING THE TOP APERTURE, A PAIR OF CLOSURE MEMBERS HINGEDLY MOUNTED FOR MOVEMENT IN A HORIZONTAL PLANE TO A POSITION UNDERLYING SAID TOP, SAID CLOSURE MEMBERS HAVING COOPERATING INCLINED WALL PORTIONS AT THE INNER EDGES THEREOF, A ROD SUPPORTED ON SAID TOP HAVING AN ENLARGED HEAD FOR BEARING AGAINST SAID INCLINED WALL PORTIONS TO CAUSE SEPARATION OF SAID CLOSURE MEMBERS UPON DOWNWARD PRESSURE ON SAID SEAT, AND MEANS FOR CLOSING SAID CLOSURE MEMBERS UPON RELEASE OF PRESSURE ON SAID SEAT. 